Crumbling Castles
by great gospel
Summary: We all build castles in the air. The problem comes when we try to live in them.


**Word Count**: 1,709

**Characters/Pairings**: Goku, Chi-Chi, Bulma, mentions of others; slight Goku/Chi-Chi

**Timeline/Spoilers**: AU; no real spoilers

**Summary**: We all build castles in the air. The problem comes when we try to live in them.

**Notes**: The quote from the summary was taken from a summer reading assignment. _Amusing Ourselves to Death_ wasn't half bad.

That's three summers ago, by the way. I've had this piece waiting to be published for ages now. The writing is a little outdated, but I decided to keep it as is with a few minor tweaks. Seriously, though, this has been finished forever, and I have no idea why I never uploaded it.

* * *

There was no Saiyan by the name of Son Goku. There never had been, and there never would be. Far from an extraordinary alien, there was just a normal boy, with an ailing grandfather, who had built up these fantastical, fictional stories about himself in order to escape from his own lonesomeness.

A genius scientist and blue-haired wonder never went on to build time machines or compact capsules or anything of the sort. A girl on a motorcycle had driven through the woods by chance one day. Lost, she stopped to ask for directions, mumbling something about needing to 'get herself a boyfriend for these kinds of things'. Her name had been printed across her shirt.

A desert bandit who harnessed the power of the Wolf's Fist didn't exist. In his place, there had been a long-haired mechanic Grandpa had called up to fix the radiator. He had brought along his cat, Pu'ar, for some peculiar reason.

A centuries old master of martial arts was much too far-fetched. On the refrigerator, there laid a picture of an old friend of his grandfather's. He was long since dead, but in life, he'd had a penchant for turtles.

A shape-shifting, smart-talking pig was simply out of the question. They kept a small hog out in the yard, who they had found with a pair of woman's panties one day out of the blue.

A small, lecherous monk with holes adorning his head was far from within the realm of possibilities. They used to have neighbors, with a boy about his age, but the family had moved away years ago.

An Ox King and his heir didn't even make sense. When his grandpa had been admitted into the hospital after that first heart attack, he noticed the doctor's young daughter. A tad bit spoiled – her daddy's "little princess" – but still the prettiest girl he had ever laid eyes on.

Now how had these fantasies come to be? The old man had meant them to entertain his young grandson. Just stories to put the young mind at ease before bedtime. But in his old age, Gohan had succumbed to the sickness plaguing his mind and came to believe his own senile delusions. Goku, still just a boy, latched onto the only thing left of his grandfather and never let go.

_x_

Chi-Chi, the young girl he encountered in the hospital all those years ago... She had grown up and followed her father's footsteps into the medical field. She now tended to this poor, confused old man that had never really grown up and had actually grown rather fond of him in the time he had been in her care. And, while she never outright encouraged them, and since there wasn't any cure for what possessed his mind, she always made time to listen to his tales. He was a vivid storyteller after all, this child-man.

"Now, Mrs. Briefs-"

"Oh, you make me feel so old. I told you to call me Bulma!"

"Well...Bulma, you really ought to take it easy-"

"Take it easy? This gal's not ready to slow down just yet! I've still got a company to run! You think my boys can handle anything without me?"

The doctor smiled good-naturedly. "Yes, but if you don't take care of yourself first, the company will be in need of a new CEO," she said pointedly.

Bulma huffed, "Alright, I guess I can take a few days off. Will that do, Doc?"

Chi-Chi grinned. "It's a start."

Both got up to leave. "Thanks for everything, Chi-Chi!"

The woman she was speaking to blinked rapidly. Even after all these years, she still wasn't fully accustomed to how informal these western women were. Ah, but she meant well. She waved in return.

Dr. Gyu checked her clipboard for her next appointment, only to find that her schedule was clear for the rest of the afternoon. A pleasant surprise. Oh! It'd be a good idea to check on him now that she was free.

She walked across the hall and knocked before entering his room.

"Chi-Chi!" he cried in glee.

She grinned back. His enthusiasm was always contagious. But something wriggled in her heart just then. He looked so...frail. Inwardly, she felt herself breaking down but kept her composure. Her father always did warn her about getting so emotionally attached to patients. But it was hard not to with someone as vibrant as him. Not to mention she'd known him practically her whole life, and he was always so full of spirit.

But not any longer. His age was finally catching up to him. He looked so...old, for lack of a better term. Not that she was any better herself; she was no longer a young woman. In fact, it'd been over half a century ago that they'd first met, as children, in this very hospital. The poor boy had had to see his grandpa die. With his only family now gone, his mind completely shut down. He really was still just a child, though his body no longer reflected it.

His voice interrupted her train of thought. "I'm sorry, what was that you said?"

A wracking cough rumbled through his chest. "You... You were talking to Bulma, weren't you?"

"I-" No harm in confirming it. "Well, yes." It wasn't a lie, per se. It had indeed been Bulma... Just not the same one he was referring to. The one from his fantasies.

"She's finally back from Namek!" he cried excitedly. "I need to see her as soon as possible! Can you bring her here?"

And with that glowing, childlike smile on his face, what could she do but say yes? Oh, she was resilient at first - that would most certainly be a terrible idea - but then he nearly coughed his lungs up again, and she bolted out door.

After sprinting to the waiting room (not bad for an old lady), she glanced around wildly. Then, she spotted it. A puff of blue-grey hair heading out the exit...

"Mrs. Briefs!" she panted. "Mrs. Briefs!" The doctor chased after her patient and cupped her hands around her mouth. "BULMA!"

The puff of hair whipped around instantly. "What is it?! What's wrong?!"

Chi-Chi took a moment to compose herself. What on earth had she been thinking? This went against so many regulations and it would only stress him out in the end and Bulma was a busy woman and patient's couldn't just be handed special treatment like this- Oh, who was she kidding? She'd fallen for that smile and the twinkle in his eye decades ago.

"I... I'm sorry to disturb you like this..."

"Well it must be something important if it had you running after me like a mad woman," she grinned cheekily.

"Yes... Well... I..." and then it all came tumbling out at once. "I apologize I know we don't know each other very well and this is terribly presumptuous of me, but oh what am I doing this is very unprofessional of me I should go."

A hand on her shoulder stopped her before she could advance another step.

As she turned around, she was met with a smile. So much like his... "I've been coming to you for years, and you've got to be the best doctor on this side of the world! Trust me, I would know," she winked. Being CEO of such a lucrative company did have its perks. "So just tell me what it is you need. It's the least I could do."

Feeling more at ease from the other woman's kind words, Chi-Chi took a deep breath and told her story from the beginning.

_x_

"And I know this is wrong on so many levels, and will probably do more harm than good, but he hasn't got much time left. And he's just been alone ever since his grandpa passed away. So maybe..."

She looked up to see Bulma smiling at her again. "Of course I will."

"You... Really?"

Her eyes grew sad. "It sounds like he's been through a lot. If I can do this one thing that could bring him even a little bit of comfort before he goes...then by all means, I will."

"Oh...thank you so much, Bulma! I don't know how I can ever repay you!"

"How about...we go have some dinner and hang out a bit while I'm on my forced vacation?" she teased.

A smile. "I would like that."

Bulma led the way back inside the building but paused at the automatic doors. She spoke quietly, "You know...if you ask me...he hasn't really been alone all this time. I mean...he's always had you with him."

_x_

The sound of curtains being forced aside. And then, "Bulma? Is it really you?"

"Of course it's me! What's the matter, don't recognize your old friend?"

He laughed boisterously, a noise she found oddly comforting. "Sure, I do! It's just been a while since I've seen you. Anyway, I'm glad you made it back safe!"

_x_

The businesswoman had been sitting at his bedside for several hours now, not sure what it was about this frail, old man that kept her rooted to the spot.

Another series of coughs overwhelmed his body. "I feel so weak after that fight... You got any senzu beans?" he croaked.

Bulma felt tears pricking at her eyes. He sounded oh so broken. "Sure thing. Let me just get my purse..." Hands trembling, she handed him a gummy from her snack bag.

"This'll make me all better, right?"

She nodded, not trusting herself with words. A sudden urge to run a hand through his wild locks. "Shhh, it's alright now."

"Tell Chi-Chi and the kids that I'm sorry." Her heart leapt up into her throat. "And...thanks...Bulma..."

He grinned at her then and she felt what was perhaps a spark of familiarity. His eyes shone one more time before sliding shut.

"You're welcome..." and the words left her mouth before she could even think to stop them– "Son Goku."

_x_

But, of course, there never had been any Son Goku. The man who had lain dying in his standard-sized hospital bed was Ryuu. No world savior or anything of the sort. Insignificant. Mundane. Ordinary.

And now he was dead. Nothing special at all.

* * *

**A/N**: The story began with a chance encounter between Goku and Bulma, and that's just how I wanted it to end. And, sorry about the OOC-ness. Sacrifices had to be made for this AU setting.

Also, about the name. I wanted it to be something completely ordinary and not unique, the total opposite of who he really is. So, I looked up common Japanese boy names, and Ryuu was on the list. Coincidentally, it actually means 'dragon'.

Originally, it was going to be a lot shorter and a lot more angst actual than story. And Goku was going to die sad and alone. But...it got away from me. If anyone's interested in reading the 'prototype' version, just let me known. Please review!


End file.
